Airbus’s flying car will cost the same as ground taxi trip

Airbus has revealed a trip in its flying taxi will cost ‘the equivalent of a normal taxi’ - from $1.50 to $2.50. The firm is set to release a working craft in 2020 to alleviate the ever-growing issue of traffic jams.

Traveling from point A to point B in a flying car may sound like it would break the bank, but Airbus has revealed a trip in its airborne vehicle will cost ‘the equivalent of a normal taxi’.

The France-based firm is set to unleash its electric aircraft, called Project Vahana, in 2020, which aims to reduce traffic jams around the world - people will summon the flying taxi with a push of a button.

Zach Lovering, the project leader at Airbus, told Business Insider that passengers should expect to pay $1.50 to $2.50 per mile – the low cost is possible because the craft does not need the same maintenance as ground cabs.

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Traveling from point A to point B in a flying car may sound like it would break the bank, but Airbus has revealed a trip in its airborne vehicle will cost ‘the equivalent of a normal taxi

MEET VAHANA

Project Vahana began earlier this year and is one of the first projects at A³, the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.

The first conceptual renders have been revealed showing a sleek self-flying aircraft with room for one passenger who sits under a canopy that retracts similar to a motorcycle helmet visor.

Its also believed that the air taxis will take off and land vertically, as there are helicopter-like struts, and tilting wings each with four electric motors.

The team at Vahana aims to have a full-sized prototype in the air by the end of 2017 and a model on the market for sale by 2020.

Airbus has revealed its airborne vehicles will cost ‘the equivalent of a normal taxi’ - $1.50 to $2.00 per mile.

Last year, Airbus unveiled its plans to create a fleet of self-flying taxis to help commuters avoid the ever-growing issue of traffic during rush-hour.

And in January, the firm revealed that it planned to test its first single-person prototype, called Project Vahana, by the end of 2017, reported Danielle Muoio with Business Insider.

The aim would be for people to book the vehicle using an app, similar to car-sharing schemes, as it will pick up passengers at their requested location.

Currently, the firm has a prototype, but has set 2020 for when the final version will be ready to take to the skies – which the firm noted it is designed to fly 62 miles (100 kilometers) on a single charge.

But Airbus also has plans to equip each aircraft with spare batteries, allowing it to stay operational longer.

Project Vahana is one of the first projects at A³, which is the advanced projects and partnerships outpost of Airbus Group in Silicon Valley.

Conceptual renders of the futuristic vehicle have been passed around the web over the months, revealing an air taxi that will take off and land vertically that boasts helicopter-like struts and tilting wings on each of the four electric motors.

And there will also be space for one passenger, who will sit under a canopy that retracts like a motorcycle helmet visor.

Lovering told Business Insider that the flying taxi’s electric propulsion system is key to keeping costs down, as it does not need the same maintenance as gasoline engines.

Right now the firm has a prototype in the making, but has set 2020 for when the final version will be ready to take to the skies

UBER SET TO RELEASE FLEET OF FLYING TAXIS BY 2020

Uber announced in April that it plans to deploy its flying taxis in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and Dubai by 2020.

Uber's flying taxis will be small, electric aircraft that take off and land vertically (VTOL) with zero emissions and quiet enough to operate in cities.

Uber's flying taxis will be small, electric aircraft that take off and land vertically (VTOL) with zero emissions and quiet enough to operate in cities.

It has also partnered with U.S. electric vehicle charging station maker ChargePoint Inc to develop an exclusive charger for its network.

Uber expects to conduct passenger flights as part of the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.

The company is working with Hillwood Properties to make four vertiports - VTOL hubs with multiple takeoff and landing pads, and charging infrastructure - in Dallas starting next year

Uber claims its flying taxis could revolutionize commuting - completing a two hour and 12 minute car ride will only be 15 minutes in the air.

And of course, these will be unmanned vehicles, so the firm will not have to pay a pilot to chauffer passengers around.

Not only will Airbus’s invention reduce traffic congestion, but CEO Tom Enders said that by using the skies could also.

The France-based firm is set to unleash its electric aircraft, called Project Vahana, in 2020, which aims to reduce traffic jams around the world - people will summon the flying taxi with a push of a button

Zach Lovering, the project leader at Airbus, told Business Insider that passengers should expect to pay $1.50 to $2.50 per mile – the low cost is possible because the craft does not need the same maintenance as ground cabs

He said using the skies could also reduce costs for city infrastructure planners. 'With flying, you don't need to pour billions into concrete bridges and roads,' he said in a January interview.

Airbus is also working on another type of flying taxi that would accommodate multiple people, which goes by the name of ‘CityAirbus’.

According to the firm, the vehicle ‘resembles a small drone in its basic design’ with multiple propellers.

This flying car will be operated by a human pilot until regulations are in place, which it will then fly around autonomously.

Conceptual renders of the futuristic vehicle have been passed around the web over the months, revealing an air taxi that will take off and land vertically that boasts helicopter-like struts and tilting wings on each of the four electric motors